Apple Has Given Up on the Vision Pro After M5 Refresh Flop (2 minute read)
Apple has halted Vision Pro development after the M5 refresh failed to improve sales, redistributing the team to other projects including Siri and pivoting to lightweight smart glasses instead.
What: Apple updated the Vision Pro with an M5 chip in October 2025, adding 120Hz refresh rate and better battery life, but kept the $3,499 price and 1.3-pound weight that users found prohibitive. After selling only 600,000 units total with unusually high return rates, Apple has stopped development and reassigned the Vision Pro team to other projects while continuing to sell existing M5 inventory.
Why it matters: This marks a rare major product failure for Apple and signals a strategic shift from high-end VR/AR headsets to simpler smart glasses similar to Ray-Ban Meta's approach, with the company unable to reuse Vision Pro technology due to power consumption constraints in smaller form factors.
Deep dive
- Apple sold only 600,000 Vision Pro units total since launch, with return rates far exceeding any other modern Apple product
- The October 2025 M5 refresh added incremental improvements (120Hz refresh, 10% more pixels, 30 minutes extra battery) but maintained the $3,499 price point that deterred consumers
- Weight remains a critical issue at 1.3 pounds, with even the redesigned Dual Knit Band failing to make the device comfortable for extended wear
- Vision Pro chief Mike Rockwell has been leading the Siri team since March 2025, with other team members now distributed across Apple
- A cheaper "Vision Air" variant was rumored but cancelled last year, suggesting Apple explored but abandoned cost-reduction strategies
- Apple is pivoting to smart glasses without integrated displays, similar to Ray-Ban Meta, as a first step toward eventual AR capabilities
- The Vision Pro technology stack proved too power-hungry to adapt for lightweight glasses form factors
- Apple continues selling the M5 model despite halting development, likely to clear inventory rather than abruptly discontinue
- The company hasn't ruled out reviving the Vision Pro line if breakthrough solutions for cost and comfort emerge
Decoder
- Vision Pro: Apple's spatial computing headset launched in 2024 combining VR and AR, positioned as a premium productivity and entertainment device
- M5 chip: Apple's fifth-generation Mac processor (this article refers to a future chip that doesn't exist yet in real-world 2024)
- Spatial computing: Apple's term for mixed reality experiences blending digital content with physical space
Original article
Apple has reportedly stopped work on the Vision Pro, and the Vision Pro team has been redistributed to other teams within the company.